'Jailer', produced originally by Kalanithi Maran, hit the cinemas today (Aug 10). In this section, we are going to review the latest Box Office release.
Story:
Tiger Muthuvel Pandian (Rajinikanth) seethes with rage when he learns that his son ACP Arjun (Vasanth Ravi) has been killed by the henchmen of Varma (Vinayakan), a dreaded antique idol smuggler. Tiger aka Muthu embarks on a roller-coaster ride to decimate the empire of the evil mafia. When he realizes that the mission is fraught with unexpected dangers, he decides to do what the villain asks him to. Will the hero finish his agenda successfully?
Performances:
Rajinikanth feigns meekness in the presence of his naughty grandson and pacifism in the presence of comedian Yogi Babu. In the confrontation scenes with the villain and his goons, he becomes the mass hero we want him to be. As the film progresses, the actor exceeds expectations.
Mohan Lal and Shiva Rajkumar from Malayalam and Kannada, respectively, make extended special appearances to a satisfying effect. Talking even a wee bit about their characters will be a spoiler.
Jackie Shroff is forgettable, while Vinayakan is excellent. He doesn't overdo his sadistic villainy anywhere. Tamannah Bhatia's special song doesn't move the story forward but serves the purpose of building up the mood to a comedy stretch.
Ramya Krishna has been given dubbing by someone else and her performance is dragged down by the unsettling effect of the voice.
Technical aspects:
'Hukum' has been put to use in a remarkable way. The 'Jailer Theme' is an excellent instrumental from Anirudh Ravichander, unarguably the film's second hero. And that theme is surpassed by the 'Muthuvel Pandian Theme', which draws from the vintage 'Superstar Rajni' theme to an extent. The 'Jailer Drill Theme' and the 'Alappara Theme' are derivative in nature (derived from two of the other themes).
Cinematographer Vijay Kartik Kannan's work is commendable. Editor R Nirmal of 'Beast' fame respects the material; given the trajectory of the story, he couldn't have been expected to do much in terms of trimming the second half. The film is 2 hours 41 minutes long. Art Direction by DRK Kiran is decent. The sound design befits the range of the film.
Analysis:
As the film opens, we see the main villain and his all-weather friend torture to death three of their own men. Physical torture is a motif that is deployed again and again in the movie. In the short flashback episode, Rajini's character cuts off the ear of a convicted prisoner. Mohan Lal's character indulges in physical torture in his intro scene. After a point, you will want to tag director Nelson on Twitter and tell him to go beyond depicting physical torture in the name of dark comedy.
While Anirudh's BGM is mind-blowing, the same hasn't been put to the best use. It would be unpopular to say this about a mass film like 'Jailer', but it is what it is. Take the intro scene of Rajini. The theme music is squeezed between two ordinary stretches. It doesn't feel like a continuum at all. The impact is a dampener instantly as soon as the hero opens the door of his room. But for Anirudh, the intro scene would have looked extremely dull.
The BGM has also been wasted in some other ways. There is a theme music unfolding and, suddenly, Yogi Babu's character interrupts.
Story-wise, the film attains distinction in the second half. In the first half, it feels like a formulaic story where the gutsy younger brother (Rajini is a father here, though) is saving his sincere elder brother (Vasanth Ravi is a son here, though) from ruthless baddies. Despite this formula, it is the first half that is much better than the second half. The latter half is watered down by a not-so-funny episode involving Sunil's Blast Mohan and a couple of other characters.
We also get a feeling that the hero behaves as though he is incapable of a realistic and rational assessment of the probable consequences of his adventures. In the first half, the clash between the hero and the villain feels like a feud between a Good Samaritan and a feudalist in a small town. There is no adequate build-up before the confrontation scenes between them. Everything is left to Anirudh to save the day.
Everything said, 'Jailer' is still leagues ahead of most of Rajini's movies in recent times. It is surely way better than 'Darbar' and 'Annatthe'.
Closing Remarks:
'Jailer' draws laughs, presents swag, and offers an uplifting score. Watch it with average expectations.
